A genus of three or four species of bulbous plants of the family Liliaceae. They are native to the Himalaya, montane China, and Japan. The bulbs are usually formed at the soil surface. The preferred habitat is woodland. The plants tend to be monocarpic, dying after flowering.

They are closely related to Lilium and are generally called by the common name giant lily. They differ from Lilium in some characteristics, most notably in the heart shaped leaves (hence the name, from the Greek kardio for heart, and krinum for lily).

The Himalayan species Cardiocrinum giganteum is the largest of any of the lily plants, growing up to 3.5 metres high.

from: Wikipedia